Protector fob trommel-spokes



F. SMARCH. PROTECTOR FOR TBOMMEL SPOKES. APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 4,1?!9.

Patented on 21,1919.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY nu: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50., WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT FRANK SMARGI-I, or ANACONDA, MONTANA.

GFFTfiE.

PROTECTOR FOR TROIVTMEL-SPOKES- T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK SMARcH, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Anaconda, in the county of Deerlodge and State of Montana, have invented a new and useful Protector for Trommel-Spokes, of which the following isa specification.

This invention has reference to trommel spokes, and its object .is to provide means for protecting spokes, already worn by incoming material, from further wear, or to provide a readily placeable and replaceable means. for attachmentto unworn spokes to protect them from initial wear.

A trommel is customarily of considerable length and is provided with three or four sets of radial spokes with the sets arranged lengthwise of the trommel and the spokes of each set radiating from a central hub. The set of spokes atthe entering end of the trommel is particularly-liable to damage by the entering material, whichmaterial is more or less abrasive. The result is that the first set of spokes in order of passage of material through the trommel becomes worn with considerable rapidity so that in a relaj tively short time the wearis sufficient to deimand a renewal of the spokes, since the wear ultimately is sufiicient to weaken the spokes to a dangerous degree. The succeeding sets of spokes are not so liable to wear and have several times the life of the first set of spokes. 7

It has been the custom to renew the spokes as needed, and for this reason the spokes both at the hub and rim ends are so constructed that they may be removed and replaced by new spokes.

In accordance with the invention, worn spokes, so long as they are not unduly worn and so weakened, areeach provided with a shield or protector which may partially or completely surround the spokes where worn, but as the wear is mostly on one side of the spoke, that toward the entering end of the trommel, the shield need but partially embrace the spoke while means are provided 'for clamping the shield in place for ready renewal in case. the shield itself becomes worn through.

The shield has the advantage of small initial cost and ready application to the spoke, thus saving the scrapping of the more expensive spokes even though considerably worn, and the complete protection from wear of new spokes. The construction.

7 Specification of Letters Patent; Patented 001;, 21, 191% Application filed June 4, 1919. Serial No, 301,828.

more readily than a spoke can be renewed. The invention will be best, understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of, this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strictconformity with the showing of the drawing, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention. as expressed in the appended claim;

In the drawing: 1 I V Figure 1 is an end elevation of'a trommel with the shaft andfeed chute in cross section and also'showing the manner of wear of the forward set of spokes. V

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the structure shown in Fig. 1.-

Fig. 3 is a face view of one of with the shield applied.

Fig. 4 isa side view thereof. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal front to rear section of a wornspoke with one form of shield applied. a a

Fig. 6 is a section on the line .66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a rear face view of a spoke with another form of shield applied. Referring to the drawing, there is shown a trommel 1 which may be considered as of ordinary construction and therefore .re quiring no extended description. The trommel is'provided with a shaft 2 upon which hubs 3 are mounted in suitably spaced relation along the shaft. Each hub carries 'a series of spokes 4 which, in the particular construction illustrated, have ends 5 screwed into the hubs and held in suitable position by lock nuts 6. The outer end of each spoke is provided with a head 7" curved intoconformity with the circumferential curvature of the trommel land held to the cylindrical thespokes other appropriate manner. At the entering end of the trommel is a flanged hood 9 and material is fed through the hood by a chute 10. The parts described are those commo to trommels.

When the material, which is of a more or 1 r less abrasive. nature, is fed through the chute 10into the trommel and the latter 1 s reselved, the ingesting material strikes the spokes 4, and especially the forward spokes as they pass by the discharge end of the chute 10. The result is that these spokes become worn by the impact of the material, as shown at 11, the spokes being customarily made of iron. After the trommel has been in use for some time the wear on the spokes increases to such an extent that the cross sectional area of the spokes is materially reduced so that ultimately the spokes become so weakened that it is necessary to renew them. The spokes nearest to the chute wear more rapidly than those distant therefrom so that the second set of spokes in order has approximately four times the life of those nearest to the chute, and in the ordinary use of the trommel such forward spokes need frequent renewal which is a time-consuming as well as an expensive procedure.

In order to avoid the renewal of the spokes the invention provides a shield 12 adapted to be applied to each spoke lengthwise thereof in amanner to cover the worn part 11. The shield may be made in different ways, of which two forms are shown. In Figs. 3 tot the shield comprises two similar approximately semi-cylindrical sleeves 13, 1d, terminating at the ends in matching ears 15 to be traversed by bolts 16 clamping the shield onto the spoke. The member 13 of the shield is the active member made of suilicient thickness to provide ample protection to the spoke where struck by the in coming material, said sleeve 13 being of greater thickness than the sleeve 14k, the thickness approximating or even exceeding that to which the spoke is usually worn,

when unprotected, before it must be re 7 newed.

, Since the wear on the spoke is principally or wholly on the side presented toward the incoming material, the member 14 may be replaced by straps 17 shown in Fig. 7. These straps connect the ears 15 on the member 13 and so clamp the member 13 to the spoke. Otherwise the structure is the same as shown in Figs. 3 to 6.

It will be observed that in both forms of the invention, the protecting sleeve has means for embracing the other side of the spoke, and that said embracing means is located at the top and bottom, out of the zone of the part of the spoke which is subject to wear.

lVhat is claimed is In a trommel wherein are employed a series of radial spokes, a means for protecting said spokes from wear, consisting of a smooth sleeve applied to and covering that side of the spoke which is toward the enter ing end of the trommel, and having a length greater than, and a thickness approximately equal to the portion of the spoke which is usually worn, when unprotected, and means embracing the other side of the spoke connected to the sleeve for holding it in fixed position, said embracing means being of less thickness than said sleeve and connected to the latter at the top and bottom outside the zone of the part of the spoke which is I usually subject to wear.

In testimony that I'cla1m the foregoing as my own, have hereto: affixed my sig-' nature. a

v FRANK SMAROH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained in five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

